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Unlocking second hand iPhones |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 2,450
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Unlocking second hand iPhones
Am I correct in saying that ANY iphone regardless of what network needs to be unlocked by the original owner i.e the person who bought it brand new and first registered the phone? Meaning if someone buys it locked second hand, they can't get it unlocked because their not the original owner?
Now I know it could be done via jailbreaking but I'm talking proper Apple unlocking. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,288
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Quote:
Am I correct in saying that ANY iphone regardless of what network needs to be unlocked by the original owner i.e the person who bought it brand new and first registered the phone? Meaning if someone buys it locked second hand, they can't get it unlocked because their not the original owner?
If you use a PAYG SIM of the work it is locked to for a while some networks will accept you as the "current owner" and will unlock it - exact policies vary by network! Looking at Google will show some 3rd party firms that claim to have "methods" to insert an IMEI number into Apples database (which is how unlocking is done officially). I have no experience if they are reliable or not. The easiest way is to get the original owner to do it as you say! |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: West Midlands
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Yeah but let's say you buy it from someone off eBay or gumtree etc, it's abit hard getting them to do it, especially if it's a while since you got it and no longer have the persons address or phone num. For example Three told me a straight NO, they need the original owners permission, so basically it's impossible for me to unlock it then(bar those dodgy websites)
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#4 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,986
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Quote:
Looking at Google will show some 3rd party firms that claim to have "methods" to insert an IMEI number into Apples database (which is how unlocking is done officially). I have no experience if they are reliable or not.
They are often quicker than the networks, I had a Vodafone iPad unlock about 6 hours after sending the IMEI once! |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 13,064
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Quote:
Yeah but let's say you buy it from someone off eBay or gumtree etc, it's abit hard getting them to do it, especially if it's a while since you got it and no longer have the persons address or phone num. For example Three told me a straight NO, they need the original owners permission, so basically it's impossible for me to unlock it then(bar those dodgy websites)
Judging by the Three website, its policy is the same as O2's and other networks': If it was not originally your device on a pay monthly contract with Three then you just get a PAYG SIM... Three Support Quote:
If you want to unlock a phone or Mobile Broadband device from Three to use it with a SIM from another network, you’ll need to fill in the form on the link at the bottom of the page. But there are a few things you need to know first: If Three only unlocked devices for the original owners, then why specifically say that people without a Three account need to get a PAYG SIM? If someone had a device locked to Three but did not have a Three account, they obviously would not be the original owner...
- If you don’t have a Three account, you’ll need to get a Three SIM to get your device unlocked. You can order a free Pay As You Go SIM online, or you can buy one from your local Three store for £1.99. You can then use those account details to fill in the form below. - When filling in the form, please make sure that your personal details like your name and address match up exactly to the ones you see on your bill. They have to be the details of the account owner. If they don’t match these we may not be able to unlock your device. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Smiley Ho ☺♪♫
Posts: 9,693
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If I bought an iPhone or iPad 2nd hand and therefore not under any Apple warranty then I'd just jailbreak it - no question.
The above (being under warranty) is the only thing that stops me from doing it. I've always hacked my androids by rooting and modding almost as soon as I've removed them from the packaging
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#7 |
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,595
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I also use Ebay for unlock codes, usually <£2.50, never had a problem.
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#8 |
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 466
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Quote:
If I bought an iPhone or iPad 2nd hand and therefore not under any Apple warranty then I'd just jailbreak it - no question.
The above (being under warranty) is the only thing that stops me from doing it. I've always hacked my androids by rooting and modding almost as soon as I've removed them from the packaging ![]() |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,288
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Quote:
I also use Ebay for unlock codes, usually <£2.50, never had a problem.
They don't use unlock codes.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
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The other issue with buying a second hand iPhone on ebay or the like is whether the previous user has remembered to reset it properly so you can activate it with a new Apple ID. Any device running iOS 7 onwards has this in addition to the network locking issue.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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Quote:
But this method is not applicable to an iPhone!!
They don't use unlock codes. |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Smiley Ho ☺♪♫
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Quote:
Jailbreaking won't help you unlock an iPhone/iPad.
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Smiley Ho ☺♪♫
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Quote:
But this method is not applicable to an iPhone!!
They don't use unlock codes.
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Between the gutter and stars
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Quote:
Yeah but let's say you buy it from someone off eBay or gumtree etc, it's abit hard getting them to do it, especially if it's a while since you got it and no longer have the persons address or phone num. For example Three told me a straight NO, they need the original owners permission, so basically it's impossible for me to unlock it then(bar those dodgy websites)
If you buy a second-hand car that's had a few owners but don't have a code for the stereo, you don't go back the original owner who bought it and ask them for it, do you?! No stealership would deny you the code because you weren't the original buyer. I can see the reason why some networks insist on having the phone on the network for x amount of months and then unlocking (like with EE/Orange/T-Mobile). But to deny unlocking because you're not the original owner is sharp practice. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
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Quote:
This thing about the original owner needing to unlock it doesn't make any sense. So long as the phone is not barred or lost/stolen, then surely as the property has changed hands, the title passes over, one should be entitled to unlock.
If you buy a second-hand car that's had a few owners but don't have a code for the stereo, you don't go back the original owner who bought it and ask them for it, do you?! No stealership would deny you the code because you weren't the original buyer. I can see the reason why some networks insist on having the phone on the network for x amount of months and then unlocking (like with EE/Orange/T-Mobile). But to deny unlocking because you're not the original owner is sharp practice. It's near on impossible for them to keep tracks on the actual phone once the person has received it, but you can see why they would expect the person it was sold/provided to to be the one unlocking it. I'd also think they think it's somewhat of a safeguard against unlocking stolen phones. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,986
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Quote:
Oh it will with the folk I'd send it to
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#17 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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Quote:
It's near on impossible for them to keep tracks on the actual phone once the person has received it, but you can see why they would expect the person it was sold/provided to to be the one unlocking it. I'd also think they think it's somewhat of a safeguard against unlocking stolen phones.
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#18 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
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Quote:
Phone companies (including, despite what the OP was told!!!, 3 themselves - according to their website) want you to register a PAYG SIM for an iPhone (which they would presumably also check has not been blacklisted) to give them some confidence that they know something about the person who wants it unlocked!
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sandy Heath, Beds. UK
Posts: 10,378
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Quote:
Yes. There's not much they can do if the phone is sold on, but they can't tell if a phone has been legitimately sold on or stolen and used/sold on, so this is just a way of covering their behinds a bit.
Apart from a worldwide database of phones and their current owners (which isn't going to happen) I don't know what the answer is. |
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They don't use unlock codes.